


My Sunshine

by Hexannn



Category: Pocket Monsters | Pokemon - All Media Types, Pocket Monsters: Sun & Moon | Pokemon Sun & Moon Versions, Pocket Monsters: Sword & Shield | Pokemon Sword & Shield Versions
Genre: Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Angst, F/F, Fluff, Found Family, Friends to Lovers, Implied/Referenced Drug Use, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Slow Burn, Smut
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-01-17
Updated: 2020-01-16
Packaged: 2021-02-27 13:54:08
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,420
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22288198
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hexannn/pseuds/Hexannn
Summary: Sometimes you just have to take a step back and take a moment for yourself.Well what happens when that 'moment' turns into an entire new start on a faraway island paradise? Will you be able to clean the skeletons out of your closet while digging deeper and deeper into the graveyard of what once housed a well-renowned gang and the ghosts that stayed behind.
Relationships: Plumeri | Plumeria/Original Character(s)
Kudos: 9





	My Sunshine

**Author's Note:**

> Okay so the timeline I'm using for this fic is about seven years after the sword and shield games and about 4 years after the sun and moon games. Is that what the official timeline is supposed to be? Who cares cuz I sure as hell don't. 
> 
> Enjoy!

_Focus._

El stood at the threshold of the arena, taking in the deafening roar of the crowd as she tried to calm her nerves. It had been far too long since she’d actually been nervous before a battle.

_Deep breaths. In…_

She gripped the pokeball in her hand a bit tighter than normal before briefly bringing it up to her lips in a good-luck peck. “You know what we have to do bud,” she whispers to the Pokemon resting inside, “I promise I’ll make it up to you eventually but for now please just work with me.”

_and out._

The roar of the crowd quieted to rumbling murmur as Chairman Leon confidently strode out into the spotlight center stage. 

“Ladies and gentlemen welcome to the finale of this season’s Champion Cup! Is everyone having a champion time tonight?” His voice booms, causing El to jump and the crowd to burst back into roaring applause. Leon laughs at their rambunctiousness, “Now now folks, lets save some of that energy for our competitors tonight, shall we? If you’ve all been watching this season’s matches as close as I have you know we have a very intense match in store for us tonight with a talented, new rising star coming for the crown of our reigning champ.” At that remark there was another roar of applause, but surprisingly enough El could faintly detect a sprinkle of ‘boos’ throughout the crowd. She smirked, looks like not everybody was buying into this after all. “Speaking of our beloved champion, lets get her out here shall we?” A spotlight separates from where Leon stands to illuminate the ground just in front of the doorway she littered in, “Introducing, Ruelle!” 

_You’ll never get another chance like this one._

El plasters her signature cocky grin across her face as she steps out into the spotlight and strides towards Leon. The crowd goes wild as she tosses her pokeball into the air and skillfully catches it behind her back. 

When she makes it up to Leon he claps a hand to her shoulder, “So El, seven years on the top have lead to this. How are you feeling about tonight?”

“Well Leon, Ive been watching this season of the Champion Cup closely and I have to say, this was an exceptional group of kids and the best of the best made it through to face me here tonight. I know my boys and I are ready for whatever he’s is gonna throw our way and I know this is gonna be one battle to remember, that’s for sure.”

“I know you don’t normally watch the finals rounds, but with all the talk of your title being on the line this time around, have you been keeping an eye on this kid recently?”

Of course she had, she never looked away if she was being completely honest. She had been keeping an eye an every carefully calibrated victory, every prematurely presented defeat. She saw every leader who pulled their punches, every battle that should’ve gone differently, every little thumbs-up from the chairman on the sidelines encouraging the path they were on. She knew the script, the choreography, the mediocrity, the lies.

_No. Play nice. Put on a good show, it is the grand finale after all._

“Ah, you know me Leon, I never watch any of the finals rounds. I know when I was first taking on the challenge my battles changed so much between that last badge and facing off against you,” she paused a slight smile creeping over her features in wistful remembrance, “I live for that suspense. Ya know? Im looking forward to see what tricks that kid has still got tucked away in his sleeve.”

“Well good for you El, you won’t have to wait too much longer. Why don’t we go ahead and get our challenger tonight out here huh folks?” He pauses, waiting for the excited scream of the crowd to die down before he sweeps his arm out towards the other entrance to the field, a spotlight detaching and following in its wake just as they had done for El. “Introducing our newest rising star, Pierce!” 

He timidly walked out into the spotlight, none of the feigned confidence that El radiated could be seen in his features. Pierce was one of the younger competitors of the season, probably around 11 or 12, not much younger than El had been when she first became champion either. The difference between them was, where her eyes had always burned with pride and stubborn determination, he shrunk away from her hard gaze as he got closer. 

_Stop being so harsh._

As he came up to stand beside with them he wrapped an arm good-naturedly around his shoulders. “Well Pierce, this is it-“

“Are you ready?” El interjected playfully.

He nodded, shakily but determined nonetheless, “Let’s get this started.”

“You heard him folks,” Leon laughed, “let’s get this started!”

The two challengers turned away from each other and strode to opposite sides of the arena as the chairman disappeared in a puff of smoke, emulating his signature entrance from back when he was champion himself. 

_This is it._

El took a deep breath, before turning back to face her opponent with fierce, determined eyes and a melancholy smile.

_Lets go._

The battle itself was a blur, a hodgepodge of missed opportunities for super effective hits and damage that could’ve definitely been dodged with just enough of her usual strategies sprinkled off in the mix to both keep the audience entertained as well as to prevent any suspicions of her purposely throwing the match. Casual fans would simply see just how strong Pierce was. More diehard fans would lament of how it just took one off day for all El’s hard work to crumble around her. She was sure that very few would suspect what was really going on, and as long as the rumors didn’t start flying until she was off of their grid she didn’t care what came from those few who saw through the act.

She had talked with all of her partners before this, they all knew what they had to do, but nothing to prepare El for the looks on their faces as she held them back. Bisharp and grimmsnarl both shot her looks of anger and betrayal as they fell, their pride taking more of a hit than their bodies. Hydreigon, in contrast to his normal excitable and playful demeanor, kept his expression carefully guarded during his time on the battlefield. Throughout his entire battle, sableye flit around the battlefield, glancing back at her and snickering like a toddler trying very poorly to keep a secret. Drapion, the youngest and newest member of the team, continuously shot her with confused and questioning glances, seeking validation that he was doing the correct thing despite not giving his all in the fight. Finally, ringing fills her ears as her pangoro falls to the ground with a look of peaceful resignation. 

That’s it…its over. El looks up at the audience and for a moment everything is still, for a moment she feels an odd sense of peace. It’s not until she looks back to her competitor across from her that the world starts careening back into motion.

She wants to be angry, to demand a rematch, to despise the boy who had just taken such a large part of herself away from her; she clenches her fists and grits her teeth as the two of them stride back to the center of the field. As they meet together Pierce excitedly grabs her and and vigorously shakes is, his eyes alight with joyful fire.

_It’s not his fault. He didn’t do this._

The thought shakes her steely resolve. He looks so happy, when was the last time battling brought her that much joy? She takes his hand and raises it proudly into the air as unease settles into the pit of her stomach. Did it ever?

The ringing in her ears didn’t stop. It continued as Leon appeared behind them and ushered them off stage, as he waved off curious reporters with his good-natured charm, as he slipped an envelope into her coat pocket after they got to her dressing room, and as he wrapped his arm around her shoulders in a last parting hug.

El didn’t go home that night. After the battle she went straight to the train station that would take her to an airport, and from there to her second chance.

_Breathe._


End file.
